ADRENAL FATIGUE
Are You a Fit Sick Person? My Journey from Burnout to Healing
The term “fit-sick” person was coined by Paul Chek to describe someone who appears fit and healthy on the outside but is suffering internally—burnt out, depleted, and struggling with chronic stress. I know this all too well because I lived it.
The photo you see of me from 2023 might paint a picture of a strong, capable athlete, who was slowly deteriorating. I had been experiencing this for over 2 years. My body was breaking down, and I couldn’t understand why.
The Symptoms I Couldn’t Ignore
I was suffering from a barrage of symptoms that went far beyond physical exhaustion.
Brain fog clouded my ability to think clearly.
Chronic fatigue made even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming.
Joint pain and idiopathic injuries plagued me, despite years of training and good biomechanics.
Poor digestion left me feeling bloated and sluggish.
My body was screaming at me, yet I kept pushing forward, trying to maintain my “fit” lifestyle.
I’ve been an athlete my entire life. From action sports to running, martial arts, and countless hours in the gym, movement has always been a core part of my identity. But at this point, it felt like years of endurance sports, intense training, and the “lifestyle tax” of action sports had finally caught up to me.
Or so I thought.
The Wake-Up Call
Deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. I refused to accept that this was just the inevitable toll of an active life. I believed I could heal my body before it manifested into something far worse—chronic illness or disease.
Then, a turning point arrived. A few weeks after that race, I attended the CHEK Institute and filled out my first Holistic Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). The results were staggering.
My adrenals were shot.
I was stuck in a chronic stress state (fight or flight mode).
My body was in a catabolic state, meaning it was breaking down rather than building up.
This was the hard truth I needed to see. I wasn’t just overtrained—I was deeply imbalanced. My body, mind, and spirit were out of alignment, and no amount of “pushing through” was going to fix it.
The Path to True Healing
For the past two years, I have been committed to holistic health practices and behavioral modifications to restore my well-being. Healing wasn’t about training harder or adding more supplements—it required a complete lifestyle shift. Here’s what helped me recover:
Prioritizing Recovery – Sleep, rest, and active recovery became just as important as training.
Managing Stress – Breathwork, meditation, and time in nature helped regulate my nervous system.
Nourishing My Body – Eating whole, nutrient-dense foods and staying hydrated with quality water.
Listening to My Body – Learning when to push and when to rest, honoring what my system truly needed.
Balancing Strength and Flexibility – Incorporating mobility work and functional training over just brute force workouts.
Aligning Mind, Body, and Spirit – Addressing emotional and mental health as part of physical recovery.
Are You a Fit Sick Person?
If any of my story resonates with you—if you feel like you’re doing everything “right” but your body is telling you otherwise—you’re not alone. The good news? You can heal.
The first step is acknowledging the signs your body is giving you. If you’re feeling chronically fatigued, injured, or just “off” despite an active lifestyle, it may be time to take a deeper look at what’s really going on beneath the surface.
I’ve been there, and I’ve made it to the other side. If you want guidance on how to reclaim your health and vitality, send me an E-mail and book a free consultation.You don’t have to suffer in silence—you can rebuild, rebalance, and thrive.
It’s not just about looking fit—it’s about feeling truly alive.